


On How to Be Lovely

by Anonymous



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - College/University, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Nolan Patrick is mentioned but only appears very briefly, Rule 63, eventual Travis Konecny/Nolan Patrick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29757699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Dylan, Mitch, and TK are roommates in a forced triple. Two of them don't quite get along, so what happens when the third moves out?
Relationships: Mitch Marner/Dylan Strome
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12
Collections: The Dylan Strome Celebration 2021





	On How to Be Lovely

**Author's Note:**

  * For [overturnedgoal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/overturnedgoal/gifts).



> I loved your prompts for this ship! :D I don't write Rule 63 or lesbians very often, so I really hope you like this!
> 
> The inspiration for this setting came from my own experiences in college. Dylan's thoughts and feelings regarding what it takes to be pretty are also mine, having remained largely unchanged in the years since college. Speaking of which...
> 
>  **Content Note:** Dylan expresses low self-esteem with regards to her looks a few times in this fic. It boils down to "I'm not pretty because I don't know what I'm doing with fashion, makeup, etc." The characters to whom she expresses these thoughts make it clear that this isn't the case, but the lesson takes a few tries to stick.
> 
> Dylan's parents have a few speaking lines in the opening scene, but they aren't mentioned again, so I didn't think it warranted a tag. Let me know if I'm wrong!

Dylan paused in front of the door labeled 215. A red piece of paper was taped under the door number, so she read the three names written in white: “Travis Konecny, Mitchell Marner, Dylan Strome.”

“Saving the best for last!” Dylan’s dad chuckled.

Dylan sighed, not wanting to admit how much she was going to miss the dad jokes. Carefully balancing the box she was carrying in one arm, she used her free hand to unlock and open the door, letting her parents close it behind them.

“Hi!” A short girl in a bright orange sweatshirt and black jeans looked up from the floor, where she was setting up an extension cord. “I didn’t get the chance to change the sign yet - call me TK, not Travis.”

“I’m Dylan.” She looked around the tiny room. “Have you claimed anything yet?”

“Just the bed with Riley.” She pointed to the raccoon sitting on the made bed near the window. “There’s two wardrobes, one desk and chair, and two closets. I figured we’d wait on Mitchell before divvying those up..”

“In that case…” Dylan walked to the bed near the door and put down the box. “I’ll take this bed. I still can’t believe they expect three people to fit in a room barely big enough for two.”

Before TK could respond, the door opened again. “Hi!” A smiling girl in a green sundress walked in. “I’m Mitch. Please don’t call me Mitchell.”

“I’m TK, not Travis.”

“I’m Dylan. I don’t have a nickname.”

“Boring!” Mitch singsonged as she walked to the free bed. She was standing so close that Dylan could see that her eyeshadow matched her dress. “So, I see six wardrobe drawers, three desk drawers, and two closets. How should we split it?”

“We can each take a desk drawer,” TK replied. “I’m not near the wardrobes, so I can take a wardrobe drawer from each of you.”

“Sounds good,” Dylan said. “We can figure out the closets as we unpack.”

Dylan’s mom chuckled. “I guess we can leave once we empty the van!”

Sure enough, after a few more trips up and down the stairs, the girls hugged their parents goodbye. TK whooped loudly as the door closed. “Freedom!”

Dylan laughed, while Mitch rolled her eyes with a snort. It made Dylan frown.

* * *

Over the course of Orientation Week, the three roommates learned that they had quite a few things in common, such as early-bird schedules and a tendency to curse at the screen when their sports teams didn’t play well. TK decided this meant they were destined to be very good friends in addition to roommates. Mitch argued this only meant they’d all been honest on their preference forms - after all, they had very different majors and rooted for rival sports teams. While Dylan privately agreed with Mitch, she thought it was mean to imply you didn’t want to be friends, so she made a point of agreeing with TK and suggesting roommate dinners every week. Mitch and TK liked the idea, which made Dylan feel quite happy.

Unfortunately, the happiness didn’t last.

Dylan didn’t know if it was due to the shared Introduction to Philosophy class, the shared poetry club, or just the shared small campus, but she and Mitch overlapped quite a lot. And yet, they just couldn’t get along, probably because they were so different. Mitch always coordinated her fashionable outfits with makeup over the course of several minutes in the morning, while Dylan just pulled on whatever clothes were in reach and quickly washed her face. Mitch’s sense of humor came across as harsh, which felt mean to Dylan. However, the most annoying part was that Mitch’s taste in poets left Dylan completely bewildered.

Case in point from just before midterms:

“I know that different tastes are a thing, but how can anyone not like Emily Dickinson?” Dylan asked as she struggled to close her drawer in the desk.

“That wasn’t my point!” Mitch insisted. “Also, is it that hard to remember that your three-hole punch and stapler don’t both fit?”

Dylan groaned, removed both items, and finally closed the drawer. “It’s not like you remember to put your makeup back in the cubby in the mornings, which leaves no room on the counter! And what was your point, anyway?”

“My point was, there’s no need to read her as a lesbian in every single poem!”

TK’s bed creaked as she sat up. “Do you have a problem with lesbians, Strome?”

“No, I don’t have a problem with myself or any other lesbian, I -” Mitch froze, her hands gripping the handle of the drawer. “I… didn’t mean to come out like this. I wanted to wait until things calmed down after midterms.”

“I’m a lesbian, too,” TK said as she walked over to Mitch. “I was planning on telling you once I finished wooing the girl who stands next to me in choir.” She gave Mitch a hug. “I’m very glad I don’t have to beat you up.”

Dylan placed the three-hole punch and stapler on the desk and joined the hug. “I was planning on staying in the closet since I don’t have time to date. I’m a lesbian, too. You’re the first people I’ve told.”

“And this is why I always buy waterproof makeup,” Mitch sniffled. “But I still don’t think the poems we read today were particularly gay.”

Despite her smile, Dylan groaned and resumed explaining how wrong Mitch was.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, things didn’t really calm down after midterms. In fact, the homework only got tougher, leading to more arguments with Mitch. To make things even worse, their teams faced each other in a very difficult playoffs series, which caused so much bickering that TK went to great lengths to keep Dylan and Mitch apart whenever possible.

For instance, TK insisted Dylan accompany her to Target a few hours before the final game on Saturday. “Nolan - the girl who stands next to me in choir - invited me to a party tonight. I volunteered to bring veggie platters.”

“That sounds… not normal for a college party.”

“I couldn’t think of anything else! She’s cute!” TK held up her hands in exasperation. “Don’t you ever freeze when dealing with a pretty girl?”

“No, I just get jealous,” Dylan admitted. “I don’t know how to be pretty.”

TK tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“Mitch’s outfits are all cute, plus she can do her makeup perfectly on the first try. I don’t even know what color or style looks good on me, never mind what to do with makeup.” Dylan sighed loudly and looked down the makeup aisle. “I don’t think I know what half of that stuff is. I’m not saying I think I’m ugly, just…not pretty, I guess?”

“Oh, Dylan…” TK gave her a tight hug. “I promise you’re pretty, even if you’re not grumpy enough to be my type. And I’m not just saying that because fashion and makeup isn’t my thing at all - you’re so pretty that you won’t need a wooing plan for the girl of your dreams.”

“Thanks,” Dylan smiled, not sure if she completely believed TK. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but let’s get your girl’s veggies!”

* * *

The semester came to a stressful end; since none of the girls liked studying in the library, they spent a lot of time in their room, which felt even more crowded with more winter clothes. Dylan considered it a small miracle that she could genuinely wish Mitch a happy winter break and get an earnest smile in return.

A few days into the new semester, TK informed Dylan and Mitch that she’d been offered an open spot in a different dorm. “One of the girls in Nolan’s building, but not on her floor, transferred to a different college over winter break. Nolan recommended me to her building’s RA, who reached out to me.”

“Did you say yes?” Mitch asked.

“I said I needed to talk to you first. But I have to give a definite answer in two days.”

Dylan gulped nervously. “You’re not doing this because you don’t like us, right?”

“Most people like you, Dylan,” Mitch snarked.

TK laughed. “Most people like you, too, Mitch. I count myself in both categories. I just… really need more storage space. I’m sure you two want that yourselves.”

“It does sound nice,” Dylan admitted. She couldn’t figure out how to express her concerns without being rude to Mitch, so she forced herself to smile. “I think you should go for it.”

“For once, we agree.” Mitch was also smiling. “Let us know when it’s happening so we can help carry stuff.”

“I will.”

* * *

The big day came that weekend. It didn’t take very long to carry TK’s stuff to her new room, especially since Nolan wound up helping out. “Isn’t she lovely?” TK dreamily sighed as she watched Nolan walk away with the last boxes.

“Hopefully your wooing actually works this semester,” Mitch said. “And hopefully your new roommate is nicer than she looks.”

“Don’t worry - I’m an expert at turning frowns upside down!” TK held open her arms. “One last group hug?”

Dylan and Mitch complied. “I’m going to miss you,” Dylan said.

“You’ve mentioned that,” TK laughed, sounding a little sad. “But I know you two can get along.” She ended the hug and waved. “Bye!”

“Bye!” Once TK was gone, Dylan turned to face Mitch. “Did you really have to say that about her new roommate?”

“It’s not like I said it in front of her!” Mitch argued. “And I could have pointed out how dreadful her outfit looked, but I didn’t!”

Dylan frowned. “I didn’t think it looked that bad - or that different from mine.”

“In the sense of being pants and a sweater, yes, but everything was wrinkled and the colors didn’t work together. You take good care of your clothes and have enough similarly colored things that you coordinate with little effort.” Mitch sighed. “In any case, we can reclaim the wardrobe drawers and closet space TK had been using. How do you want to handle the third desk drawer?”

“We can put shareable things in it, like my stapler and - actually, my three-hole punch shouldn’t go in the same drawer as my stapler.”

Mitch smiled. “I can put my rulers in there, too.”

“Sounds good,” Dylan smiled back.

* * *

While both Dylan and Mitch stayed in poetry club, they no longer had a shared class, which meant they didn’t see each other quite as often. This, combined with more space within the room, helped decrease the amount of squabbling. Dylan also noticed that Mitch was much better at putting her makeup back in her cubby in the morning, which left much more room on the counter. And with the new sports season not starting yet, Dylan and Mitch didn’t have to worry about yelling at screens for awhile. All in all, things were much calmer.

There was one problem with things being much calmer: Dylan found herself thinking about Mitch a lot. “When she leaves the room, I stare at the space where she was and feel sad,” Dylan told TK over lunch a few weeks into the semester. “I spend all day trying to figure out a compliment for what she’s wearing, but I can never think of anything good.”

“I see…” TK hummed. “What about at night?”

“What do you m-” Dylan groaned at TK’s wink. “We’re roommates!”

“Do I need to quote the Vine?”

“Absolutely not!” Dylan glared. “Mitch is gorgeous, but I’m not going to fantasize about her when she’s sleeping one bed over!”

TK laughed. “You’re not exactly denying your feelings for her.”

Dylan replayed the conversation in her head. “...I guess not. But I’m still not going to do anything! And besides, you still haven’t successfully wooed Nolan, so your credentials are less than stellar.”

“Not for a lack of trying!”

* * *

Spring weather caught Dylan by surprise. It seemed like Mitch switched to short sleeves overnight, giving Dylan even more thoughts to deal with. Unfortunately, if the strange looks from Mitch were any indication, Dylan wasn’t doing a very good job of keeping the nature of her thoughts hidden.

It all came to a head shortly before midterms. As was often the case after poetry club meetings, Mitch was arguing with Dylan: “Things aren’t always about attraction! Just because the poet’s a lesbian doesn’t mean every curve she writes about is feminine!”

“In context, they are!” Dylan argued back. Mitch’s arms looked incredibly attractive when she waved them around, so Dylan couldn’t really stop herself from adding, “And besides, what do you know about not being about attraction? Everything about you is attractive!”

Mitch froze and blinked in confusion. “What?!”

Dylan groaned. “TK helped me figure out that I like you. I thought it was just jealousy over you being pretty when I’m not, but it’s not.”

“I…” Mitch blinked some more. “I’m confused. First of all, why on earth do you think you aren’t pretty? I’ve had a crush on you since the first time I walked into this room.”

It was Dylan’s turn to be confused. “Well...you always dress like a fashion magazine and your makeup’s always on point.”

“So? That’s not what makes someone pretty.” Mitch’s face softened as she reached out to touch Dylan’s shoulder. “People can be pretty in different ways. Just because I like dressing up a little and putting on makeup doesn’t mean anyone else has to. You’re pretty, Dylan - you’re beautiful just the way you are.”

“But…” Dylan took a shuddering breath. “I could be prettier if I knew what to do with all that.”

“If you want me to help you try it out, then I will, but you don’t need it, I promise.” Mitch leaned closer. “Can I kiss you, please?”

Dylan nodded, her eyes fluttering shut as Mitch brought their lips together softly.

* * *

About a week later, Dylan found herself looking at a myriad of items on the bathroom counter. “I didn’t realize we got so much stuff at Target.”

Mitch chuckled softly and pointed to her cubby. “I have even more, Dyls.”

“Dyls?” She hummed in thought. “I like it.”

“Good! My girlfriend deserves a nickname.” Mitch gave Dylan’s shoulders a squeeze. “Now, just to be clear, you don’t have to actually wear any of it to the party tonight if you don’t want to. We have plenty of makeup remover wipes.”

“I know,” Dylan nodded. “Let’s get started.”

Mitch turned out to be a very good teacher, explaining everything in detail as they worked their way through the different items. She was doing her own makeup for the party at the same time, which was also very helpful in clarifying matters for Dylan.

When they were finished, Dylan stared at her reflection in the mirror. “I… thought I’d look more different.”

“Different how?”

“I’m not sure,” Dylan admitted. “Like, I know that you look different with and without makeup, but not as different as I expected myself to look.”

Mitch hummed in thought. “I deliberately kept it simple this time, not only because that’s what I’m used to doing for myself, but also because I didn’t want to make you think you needed to look very different. I’m working on teaching you that you’re pretty with and without makeup, remember?”

“I remember,” Dylan acknowledged. “This… might actually help with that. I want to wear it like this to the party tonight - if nothing else, I’m curious how TK will react.”

As it turned out, TK’s reaction was a high-pitched squeal.

“Does that mean you like Dyls’ makeup?” Mitch asked.

TK squealed again. “I haven’t had the bandwidth to think about that! And now I won’t because you nicknamed her! I’m squealing because you’re holding hands!!”

Dylan looked down at her hand in Mitch’s and laughed. “Yeah. We’re girlfriends now.”

“GIRLFRIENDS?!” TK pulled them into a hug. “Now we can double-date!”

“The wooing worked?!” Mitch squealed.

“Yes!” TK dragged them inside, where Nolan waved to them. “I don’t know which story should go first!”

“I’ll tell our story first,” Mitch decided. “Feel free to interrupt whenever you want, Dyls.”

“Will do.” Dylan’s cheeks were a little sore from all the smiling, but she had no reason to complain.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Feedback is love!
> 
> (And please, please let me know if the content note in the beginning and/or the tags need changing!)
> 
> Fic title is from the song of the same name from "Funny Face."


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